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Background: Joint flexion to diminish the gap and avoid nerve grafts fell into disuse for decades, but recently attention for using this technique was regained. We report a case series of nerve suture under joint flexion, ultrasound monitoring, and physiotherapy. Our main objective was to determine how effective this multimodality treatment is., Methods: A retrospective review of 8 patients treated with direct repair with joint flexion was done. Depending on the affected nerve, either the knee or the elbow was flexed intraoperatively to determine if direct suturing was possible. After surgery, the limb was held immobilized. Through serial ultrasounds and a physiotherapy program, the limb was fully extended. If a nerve repair rupture was observed, the patient was re-operated and grafts were used., Results: Of the eight nerve sutures analyzed, four sustained a nerve rupture revealed by US at an early stage, while four did not show any sign of dehiscence. In the patients in whom the nerve suture was preserved, an early and very good response was observed. Ultrasound was 100% accurate at identifying nerve suture preservation. Early detection of nerve failure permitted early re-do surgery using grafts without flexion, ultimately determining good final results., Conclusions: We observed a high rate of dehiscence in our group of patients treated with direct repair and joint flexion. We believe this was due to an incorrect use of the immobilization device, excessive movement, or a broken device. In opposition to this, we observed that applying direct nerve sutures and joint flexion offers unusually good and fast results. If this technique is employed, it is mandatory to closely monitor suture status with US, together with physiotherapy providing progressive, US-guided extension of the flexed joint. If nerve rupture occurs, the close monitoring dictated by this protocol should ensure the timely application of a successful graft repair., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The hypoglossal (with or without grafts) and masseter nerves are frequently used as axon donors for facial reinnervation when no proximal stump of the facial nerve is available. We report our experience treating facial nerve palsies via hemihypoglossal-to-facial nerve transfers either with (HFG) or without grafts (HFD), comparing these outcomes against those of masseteric-to-facial nerve transfers (MF)., Method: A total of 77 patients were analyzed retrospectively, including 51 HFD, 11 HFG, and 15 MF nerve transfer patients. Both the House-Brackmann (HB) scale and our own, newly-designed scale to rate facial reanimation post nerve transfer (quantifying symmetry at rest and when smiling, eye occlusion, and eye and mouth synkinesis when speaking) were used to enumerate the extent of recovery., Results: With both the HB and our own facial reanimation scale, the HFD and MF procedures yielded better outcome scores than HFG, though only the HGD was statistically superior. HGD produced slightly better scores than MF for everything but eye synkinesis, but these differences were generally not statistically significant. Delaying surgery beyond 2 years since injury was associated with appreciably worse outcomes when measured with our own but not the HB scale. The only predictors of outcome were the surgical technique employed and the duration of time between the initial injury and surgery., Conclusions: HFD appears to produce the most satisfactory facial reanimation results, with MF providing lesser but still satisfactory outcomes. Using interposed grafts while performing hemihypoglossal-to-facial nerve transfers should likely be avoided, whenever possible.

Background: Controversy exists surrounding the use of the phrenic nerve for transfer in severe brachial plexus injuries. The objectives of this study are: (1) to present the experience of the authors using the phrenic nerve in a single institution; and (2) to thoroughly review the existing literature to date., Methods: Adult patients with C5-D1 and C5-C8 lesions and a phrenic nerve transfer were retrospectively included. Patients with follow-up shorter than 18 months were excluded. The MRC muscle strength grading system was used to rate the outcome. Clinical repercussions relating to sectioning of the phrenic nerve were studied. An intense rehabilitation program was started after surgery, and compliance to this program was monitored using a previously described scale. Statistical analysis was performed with the obtained data., Results: Fifty-one patients were included. The mean time between trauma and surgery was 5.7 months. Three-quarters of the patients had C5-D1, with the remainder C5-C8. Mean post-operative follow-up was 32.5 months A MRC of M4 was achieved in 62.7% patients, M3 21.6%, M2 in 3.9%, and M1 in 11.8%. The only significant differences between the two groups were in graft length (9.8 vs. 15.1 cm, p = 0.01); and in the rehabilitation compliance score (2.86 vs. 2.00, p = 0.01)., Conclusions: Results of phrenic nerve transfer are predictable and good, especially if the grafts are short and the rehabilitation is adequate. It may adversely affect respiratory function tests, but this rarely correlates clinically. Contraindications to the use of the phrenic nerve exist and should be respected.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) has recently been identified as a predictor of outcomes following reconstructive surgery of shoulder palsies. In this study, we sought to determine if the same holds true for the reconstruction of elbow flexion., Methods: Forty patients who had undergone partial ulnar-to-biceps nerve transfer (Oberlin's procedure) for shoulder palsy were assessed and compared against 18 previously reported patients who had undergone reconstruction for elbow palsies. The British Medical Research Council (BMRC) scale and an index dividing shoulder abduction strength in the affected arm by healthy arm were recorded. All patients had undergone surgery within 12 months of injury and had ≥ 12 months of follow-up., Results: M4 or M3 biceps strength was obtained in 90 % of patients. Final strength on the affected side averaged 5.8 kg, versus 20.2 kg on the normal side, for a mean recovery index score of 0.30. In this sample of 40 patients, BMI did not predict percentage strength or BMRC grade recovery. Neither did age, number of roots involved, the affected side, nor time to surgery. Comparing patients with elbow versus shoulder reconstruction, there were no differences, except that patients undergoing Oberlin's procedure had a statistically longer duration of time between injury and surgical repair (7.4 vs 5.1 months, p < 0.006)., Conclusions: Our data suggest that proximal muscle re-innervation is functionally more dependent upon BMI than distal re-innervation, likely because proximal muscles must support the weight of the entire extremity, while more distal muscles do not. BMI should be taken into consideration when planning surgery.

Introduction: Several factors that affect functional recovery after surgery in severe brachial plexus lesions have been identified, i.e., time to surgery and presence of root avulsions. The body mass index (BMI) of the patient could be one of these possible factors. The objective of the present paper is to systematically study the relationship between BMI and the outcome of abduction following spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer., Methods: We retrospectively studied 18 cases that followed these inclusion criteria: (1) Male patients with a spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer as the only procedure for shoulder function reanimation; (2) at least C5-C6 root avulsion; (3) interval between trauma and surgery less than 12 months; (4) follow-up was at least 2 years; (5) no concomitant injury of the shoulder girdle. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression was performed for BMI versus shoulder abduction., Results: The mean range of post-operative abduction obtained across the entire series was 49.7° (SD ± 30.2). Statistical evaluation revealed a significant, negative moderately strong correlation between BMI and post-operative range of shoulder abduction (r = -0.48, p = 0.04). Upon simple linear regression, time to surgery (p = 0.04) was the only statistically significant predictor of abduction range negatively correlated., Conclusions: Analysis of this series suggests that a high BMI of patients undergoing brachial plexus surgery is a negative predictor of outcome, albeit less important than others like time from trauma to surgery. Nevertheless, the BMI of patients should be taken into consideration when planning surgical strategies for reconstruction.

Background: Although peripheral schwannomas can be resected without postoperative neurological complications, surgeons must anticipate the possibility that new neurological deficits could develop. In order to evaluate the risk of neurological complications in the surgical treatment of these tumours, we performed a retrospective review of cases involving schwannomas in the extremities, as well as an analysis of the related literature., Method: We reviewed a combined series of 72 schwannomas from the extremities presenting for surgical excision. Meticulous analysis of the files was undertaken, searching for pre-operative findings that could be more frequent in patients with surgical complications. The incidence, severity, and transitory nature of post-operative complications in our series was observed and compared against the literature., Results: Eleven patients (15.2 %) developed new neurological deficits after surgery: sensory disturbance in seven cases, motor weakness in three, and a single wound hematoma. Most of these complications were temporary. Statistical analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between the presence of complications and both patient age under 50 years (p = 0.02) and tumours greater than 3 cm in greatest diameter (p = 0.02)., Conclusions: Although relatively infrequent, the potential for novel post-operative deficits after the surgical treatment of peripheral schwannomas does exist and should be included during pre-operative counseling.

Background: Using grafts directed to distal targets in brachial plexus reconstruction has the advantage over proximal targets of avoiding axonal dispersion. A long graft (more than 10 cm) is needed to reach most distal targets. The objective of this article is to identify factors associated with good versus poor outcomes in a clinical series of long grafts used for distal brachial plexus reconstruction., Methods: In 34 patients with a flail arm, 47 sural grafts >10 cm long were followed for ≥2 years postoperatively. Surgical technique included standard supraclavicular exposure of the proximal brachial plexus and its branches, the phrenic nerve and spinal accessory nerve. Distal target nerves were exposed via an incision starting at the axilla, following the gap between the biceps and triceps. Cases achieving a good result were statistically compared against those with a poor result as to the donor nerve/root, target nerve, patient age and weight, time from trauma to surgery, graft length and long-term rehabilitation quality., Findings: A good outcome was observed with 23 grafts (48.9%), but 66.7% of the 30 long grafts done within 6 months of trauma yielded a good result. Only 1 of 15 patients with the lowest quality rehabilitation score experienced a good result (6.6%) versus all 12 patients with the highest rating (p < 0.001). Trauma-to-surgery time was roughly half as long in those with a good result (4.7 vs. 9.0 months, p < 0.001). No other inter-group differences were observed., Conclusions: The results of a series of distal brachial plexus target reinnervations with long grafts is presented and analyzed. According to them, time from trauma to surgery and an adequate postoperative rehabilitation are important predictors of outcome.

Background: Peripheral nerve lesions usually are associated with neuropathic pain. In the present paper, we describe a simple scale to quantify pain after brachial plexus injuries and apply this scale to a series of patients to determine initial outcomes after reconstructive surgery., Methods: Fifty-one patients with traumatic brachial plexus avulsion injuries were treated over the period of one calendar year at one center by the same surgical team. Of these, 28 patients who were available for follow-up reported some degree of neuropathic pain radiating towards the hand or forearm and underwent reconstructive microsurgery and direct pain management, including trunk and nerve neurolysis and repair. A special pain severity rating scale was developed and used to assess patients' pain before and after surgery, over a minimum follow-up of 6 months. An independent researcher, not part of the surgical team, performed all pre- and postoperative evaluations., Findings: Of the 28 patients with brachial plexus traction injuries who met eligibility criteria, 93% were male, and most were young (mean age, 27.6 years). The mean preoperative severity of pain using our scale was 30.9 out of a maximum of 37 (± 0.76 SD), which fell to a mean of 6.9 (± 0.68 SD) 6 months post-procedure. On average, pain declined by 78% across the whole series, a decline that was statistically significant (p < .001). Subset analysis revealed similar improvements across all the different parameters of pain., Conclusions: We have designed and tested a simple and reliable method by which to quantify neuropathic pain after traumatic brachial plexus injuries. Initial surgical treatment of the paralysis--including nerve, trunk and root reconstruction, and neurolysis--comprises an effective means by which to initially treat neuropathic pain. Ablative or neuromodulative procedures, like dorsal root entry zone, should be reserved for refractory cases.